


Coward

by Wallwalker



Category: Star Ocean: The Second Story
Genre: Community: fic_on_demand, Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-19
Updated: 2009-11-19
Packaged: 2017-10-03 10:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallwalker/pseuds/Wallwalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is Dias Flac's worst nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coward

**Author's Note:**

> Written for bangles @ LJ for the [Fic on Demand](http://community.livejournal.com/fic_on_demand) community at LiveJournal.

You're still not moving.

I stand next to you, nudge you with my boot. You don't flinch, and if you do make a sound I can't hear it over the roar of the crowd. You put up a good fight this time, much better than you did during our first Tournament, and I almost didn't win. But you know that I'm never going to admit that to you, and if you're as good a fighter as you should be by now, you ought to know it anyway. But you're still just lying there. You're not getting up and acknowledging me as the winner, congratulating me, being as gracious as you always are, even though you know I'm not going to let you know that I give a damn.

Get up, Claude. This isn't like you.

I push you again, roll you over with my foot. But you don't flinch, and your clothes are bloody from the fight, and your eyes are staring up at nothing. I never would've thought you'd be so good at playing dead, Claude. Are you so ashamed of being beaten by me a second time that you'd play mind games with me?

_I know that I don't like him, but I don't think that I hate him either._ I said that to Rena once, about you. It was true then, and it's always been true. But if you don't get up right now, if you don't stop pretending like a coward, I _will_ hate you, Claude. I'll hate you more than I've hated anything else, even the men who killed my family, because _you_ are far better than those cowardly bandits. _You_ are my rival, out of every single warrior I've ever fought. _You_ are the only other man in the world who carries one of Master Gamgee's swords - and he gave it to you at my request. Don't you understand what an honor that is? Don't you know what I've given you?

Damn you, Kenni, get up. Get up! This is what you wanted, isn't it? Don't throw it away!

I can hear the crowds die down. They're muttering, they're uncertain. And they've quieted enough that I can hear Rena, and she's screaming your name. _Your name._ Isn't that enough for you, Claude? She's not calling for me, she's calling for you. Get up and answer her!

The guard takes my arm and tries to pull me away. I don't let him; I wrench myself out of his grasp, hard enough that he starts clutching his arm in pain.

"Touch me again and you die," I growl. "I'm not walking out of here until Claude stands up!"

"Master Flac, please... can't you see? Master Kenni is dead," he says nervously, backing away.

What? No! Idiot! As if I don't know death when I see it. As if you could _possibly_ die like this. As if... no. No, damn you!

Another guard comes, and another. They all grab me from behind, they drag me away, and the whole time I'm staring at you as you lie there. Do _you_ hate me, Kenni? Are you just trying to embarrass me in front of every warrior in the world? The great Dias Flac, dragged away like a common criminal... is that what you wanted?

All right, Claude. You've had your fun. The game's over. Now, stop pretending and stand up and prove to me that you're alive.

Get up.

Get up!

_"Get up!"_


End file.
